Show ContentsCaudle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

An ancient Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first to use the name Caudle. They lived in Renfrewshire. This place-name may also be derived from the Old English words caeld, which means cold, and welle, which means well, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a well that gave cold water. 1

Early Origins of the Caudle family

The surname Caudle was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland, at the Caldwell Tower, a mansion and old estate that dates back to 1294. 2

The current Caldwell Tower stands on a mound, and is a small, free-standing tower that was probably built in the 16th century.

It was fully restored in 2011 with the addition of a small extension. Caldwell is also a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire.

"The old family of the name appears to have ended in the direct line in an heiress in the fifteenth century. In 1342 there is an entry of the fee of William de Caldwell. Robert Cauldwell was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Montgomery, 1405." 3

The Caudle variant may be related to a thickened and sweetened alcoholic hot drink so named. It was popular in the Middle Ages for its supposed medicinal properties and dates back to at least 1297.

Further to the south in the English county of Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes de Coldwell; and Thomas de Coldwele. 4

Early History of the Caudle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caudle research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1419, 1495, 1505, 1526, 1533, 1548, 1551, 1554, 1559, 1561, 1572, 1581, 1584, 1596, 1628, 1661, 1679, 1687, 1796, 1890 and 1929 are included under the topic Early Caudle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caudle Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Caudle has been spelled Caldwell, Coldwell, Caldwill, Cauldwell, Cauldwill, Cawldwell, Guildwell, Calewell, Caldewell and many more.

Early Notables of the Caudle family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Blessed John Fenwick, born John Caldwell (1628-1679), an English Jesuit, executed at the time of the Popish Plot, a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI.Richard Caldwall (1505?-1584), was an English physician, born in Staffordshire about 1505. "He was educated at Brasenose, graduated as B.A. in...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caudle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caudle Ranking

In the United States, the name Caudle is the 3,979th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5

Ireland Migration of the Caudle family to Ireland

Some of the Caudle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Caudle migration to the United States +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Caudle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Baltasar De Caudle, who landed in America in 1827 6
Caudle Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mary H. Caudle, aged 54, who landed in America, in 1911
  • Alfred Caudle, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1918
  • Lily Caudle, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Carlisle, England, in 1921
  • A. E. Caudle, aged 18, who immigrated to America, in 1921

Australia Caudle migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Caudle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Caudle, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Ramillies" 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Caudle (post 1700) +

  • Bob Caudle, famous longtime American professional wrestling announcer
  • Theron Lamar Caudle Jr. (1904-1969), American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, 1940-45 8
  • Reece Arnold Caudle (1888-1955), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Arkansas State House of Representatives; Speaker of the Arkansas State House of Representatives 8
  • Joseph E. Caudle (b. 1945), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates 35th District, 1975-80 8

HMAS Sydney II


The Caudle Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fac et spera
Motto Translation: Do and hope.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. South Australian Register Tuesday 11 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAMILLIES 1860. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/ramillies1860.shtml
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp


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